Not So Bad After All
by Carly-M
Summary: Sindi's working at the pub much to Max's chagrin - Things look grim until she helps him out. Not a romantic one, don't worry!


**TITLE:** Not so bad after all...  
**AUTHOR:** Carly  
**RATING:** G  
**FEEDBACK:** Would be lovely  
**DISCLAIMER:** These characters are not mine  
**SUMMARY:** Sindi's back working at the pub much to Max's chagrin, but he sees that she's not that bad when she helps him out with something important  
**PAIRING/CHARACTERS:** Max, Sindi, Steph  
**NOTES:** This is another one of my, 'Let's write a fic about characters that don't usually share screen time' ideas.

**UPDATED NOTES: **I went through a phase where I had all the names of the characters written down on ripped bits of paper and then I drew two out of a tin and made myself write a fic about them. Man, I got some weird and wonderful pairings – this one was actually easy to write. Fun too.

**DATE:** 18/05/04

- - - -

Max stood behind the bar with beer dripping down the front of his shirt. Sindi cringed next to the cash register, one hand over her mouth in shock and the other loosely holding the beer tap.

She gently put the tap down and picked up a towel, smiling faux-cheerfully at Max as she passed it to him. "It's a bit tricky to spritz it in the glass, isn't it!"

He took the towel from her, trying to keep the tone of his voice level. "Yes… I'd think it would be when you try and shoo away a fly with the beer hose."

Sindi chuckled nervously. "Just one of those automatic reaction thingies!" She took the twitching near his eye as a good time to make herself scarce. "I'll just be on my afternoon break then," she said, dashing around the back.

Max rubbed his eyes and groaned inwardly. He was going to kill Lou. Especially since he was the one who fired Sindi the first time around. But no, he had to go and re-hire her for a second chance because he felt sorry for her, and somehow Max got roped into being the trainer.

"Penny for your thoughts, handsome?"

He looked up and smiled at Steph grinning back at him. "Hey you, how long have you been standing there?"

They leant over the counter for a kiss. "Long enough to see you get a beer bath," Steph laughed. "Sindi still not got the hang of things then?"

"That's an understatement. She's been here for three days now and she's still calling the cocktails 'Brolly drinks' and getting her hands jammed in the cash register."

"Aww, give her another day or so, I'm sure she'll be fine."

Max scoffed. "Yeah, maybe you should try training her!"

"Uh, I'll leave that to you sensei."

Steph met him at the end of the counter, wrapping her arm around his shoulder as they walked into the office. Max leant in to kiss her, brushing his nose lightly against hers.

"How did the shopping with Summer go?" he asked.

"Yeah, not too bad. We bought the material for her bridesmaid's dress so mum could start making it. It's very pink and frothy, but very Summer!"

He laughed. "She's always wanted to be a princess."

"I managed to talk her out of the tiara though!" She trailed her finger down the side of his face. "Is it nearly the end of your shift?"

"That's what I was going to ring and tell you, I have to work a double tonight because Connor rang in sick and Martin can't stay on."

"Okay, I'll keep some dinner warm for you then… Don't look at me like that, it's Izzy's turn to cook! Geez, anyone would think that I couldn't even boil an egg!" she said, swatting his arm.

"Well, there was that one breakfast where…"

Steph silenced him with a kiss. "You'll be having toast if you keep that up!"

She said goodbye and walked out the door… then popped her head back around with a sly grin on her face. "Um, I think you better get out here sensei, grasshopper needs you."

"What?"

Max followed her out and froze in his tracks. Sindi was crouched on the floor surrounded by piles and piles of peanuts, hastily trying to scoop them up. She peered up at Max with a deer in headlights look.

"I thought I'd help by refilling the peanut bowls…. then the packet kind of split open too much and they went everywhere. Sorry…"

"That's fine, Sindi," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll get the dustpan and broom."

Steph left before she burst out laughing and got the wrath of cranky Max. He got the cleaning utensils from under the counter and began to help clean the mess.

"Max."

"Sindi…"

"I've decided to stay on and help you tonight because I feel so bad about screwing up lately. And this way I'll get to have some more training. Fun, hey!"

Max's eyes widened in horror. "No, no, that's okay. I'll be fine here!"

"Nonsense!" she chirped. "I don't mind at all!"

"Okay," he sighed, giving in. "How about you leave this to me and go and clean up some of the tables."

"Righto, boss!" Sindi stood up quickly, took one step, and skidded on the peanuts, falling on her behind in the process.

"Are you okay?"

She jumped up again, dusting peanut shells off her pants in embarrassment. "Absolutely! Don't worry about me! I'll just be setting those tables then shall I."

Sindi walked carefully around the other side of the counter. Max took a deep breath and refrained the urge to shake his head in disbelief. It was going to be a long night.

- - - -

"I think I'm really getting the hang of these Brolly drinks now, Max!"

Sindi poured the rest of the pink mixture in the cocktail glass and placed a mini-umbrella in it with a flourish. "Ta da!"

"And it only took you three goes and one broken glass this time."

"Exactly! I'll be running this place before you know it!" she giggled and served the customer their drink.

Max made a mental note to sell his share if that ever happened, and another one to keep an eye out for flying pigs.

The pub had hit its quiet time. The dinner rush was long over and now there were only the usual Thursday night stragglers. Max took this as a good opportunity to fish the catalogue he had been carrying around all day out of his back pocket to have a look at.

Sindi came up beside him. "Ooh, what's that! Are you buying Steph some jewelry? The lucky girl."

Max tried to fold up the jewelry catalogue and put it back in his pocket, but Sindi took it off him too quickly.

"May I?" she said, starting to read it.

He blinked, and looked down at his empty hand. "… Be my guest."

She scoured the pages with a happy look on her face, stopping every now and then to 'Ooh' and 'Aah' over a few pieces that caught her eye.

"Max," she began carefully.

"Yeah?"

"You know these rings you've circled?"

"Yeah…"

"Were you thinking of buying one of them for Steph?"

"That was the idea, yes."

"Oh."

He gave her an odd look. There was something fishy about her tone of voice. "What? _What_?"

"Nothing! No, they're absolutely fine. Very sparkly." She handed the catalogue back to him quickly.

"No, there's something wrong. Don't they look any good?"

She paused. "Well… I was just wondering when Steph turned into Dame Edna Everage, because those rings were rather, er… _flashy_."

He looked at her in surprise. "You don't think she'd like them?"

"Steph just doesn't strike me as the 'jewels the size of grapefruit' kind of girl. I would have thought that she'd want something that was simple. Something that said, 'I ride a motorbike and wear overalls to work', not, 'Hi, my name is Steph and I belong on the Bold and the Beautiful'."

Max's eyes were glazed over from this long analogy, and he felt even more confused. "So I should start from scratch then?" he asked cautiously.

Sindi waved her arms around. "No, I didn't mean it like that! You'd know what Steph would like better than anyone, I've just got to learn to keep my mouth shut! Carry on!" She patted him swiftly on the arm and went over to the sink.

"Hang on, Sindi," he said, approaching her. He smiled ruefully. "The truth is, I actually _don't _have a clue what Steph would want. I was just going for that bigger is better kind of vibe, you know, let her know how much I love her."

She smiled back at him. "That's lovely, but I'm sure she knows how much you care for her already."

"Ah, what would you suggest I do then? Just to get another woman's point of view."

"Really?" she replied incredulously. "You want me to help you?"

He chuckled. "Yes, that would be great. And it doesn't involve anything breakable so that's a good start."

She didn't seem to hear him though as she excitedly gathered up some paper and a pen. "Oh, this is so exciting! Okay, I'll just be over there sketching some ideas… you don't mind if I go on a break do you?"

He wondered if she knew she'd already been on five breaks already, but decided to let it go when sensibility kicked in and reminded him that she'd be out of trouble that way. "Nah, that's fine."

- - - -

Fifteen minutes later, Sindi came bouncing back over waving the paper in his face. "I've got it! I've struck gold!"

"Okay, tell me what you've got."

"Well, I actually remembered this ring my friend Maggie had for her wedding. Oh, it was so beautiful. There were flowers everywhere, and they had doves and…"

"They had flowers and doves on the ring?" he interrupted in confusion.

"No, in their wedding ceremony silly. Don't you listen?"

"…"

"Anyway," she continued. "She was in the same situation as you guys. Her fiancé had two children from a previous marriage, and her ring was a gorgeous gold band with three simple diamonds placed in a row. He told her they symbolized himself and his children forever being a part of her life." Sindi fanned her eyes, which were welling up with tears. "Oh, I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it!"

Max took the piece of paper off her and looked at what she had drawn. "Sindi… that is a brilliant idea."

"It is?" she said in surprise. "I mean, _of course_ it is! I am a woman of many ideas!"

He laughed and folded the paper up carefully. "I'll take this to the jewelers tomorrow. Thanks, Sindi. I really appreciate your help."

"Not a problem. Speaking of ideas though, have you given anymore thought to…"

"Uh, I think we'll leave your Disco theme night idea for another time," he cut in kindly. "Wouldn't want to have too many good ideas in the one night, would we!"

"No," she giggled. "I guess not!"

Max watched her go back to work wiping down the bench and couldn't help but smile in amusement. Maybe Sindi wasn't so ditzy after all.

The sound of glass smashing on the floor rang out.

"Oopsie! My bad!"

_The End_


End file.
